Athens, AL – Causes of Foundation Shifting and Damage – Crawl Space Repair

Excess moisture and high humidity are two common causes of foundation shifting and damage. Addressing each issue promptly at the first sign of trouble significantly reduces damage to your home’s foundation, potentially saving hundreds to thousands of dollars in repair costs, not to mention endless headaches.

Causes of Foundation Shifting and Damage

Moisture and humidity aren’t the lone problems causing foundation shifting and damage, although they are the most problematic. Other problems potentially causing foundation shifting and damage include:

• Poor construction
• Tree roots
• Hydrostatic pressure
• Inadequate drainage

Why Excess Moisture and High Humidity Cause Substantial Foundation Problems

Issues such as plumbing and slab leaks cause excess moisture in your crawlspace, which can lead to high humidity inside the home. This creates an uncomfortable environment for the household, but more worrisome, jeopardizes the home’s structural integrity.

Excess moisture and high humidity can cause:

• Soil Expansion: Clay soil is especially vulnerable to excess moisture. Constant swelling and contraction during soil expansion weaken the soil, causing foundation shifting.
• Soil Instability: Excess moisture saturates the soil around the foundation. This eventually causes instability that can compromise the home.
• Wood Decay: Persistent moisture causes high humidity levels, which can cause wood decay along the crawlspace. Decay in the crawlspace can damage the foundation.
• Hydrostatic Pressure: Water accumulation, whether from plumbing leaks or elsewhere, elevates groundwater levels, creating hydrostatic pressure that forces against the foundation. The constant force weakens the foundation and may cause cracks.
• Mold and Mildew: Mold and mildew may leave the household with flu-like symptoms. Mold and mildew also cause foundation deterioration, making it susceptible to damage.

Southern Crawl Space offers moisture control services, including basement and crawlspace waterproofing, drainage system installation, and vapor barrier installation. SCS guarantees to fix your moisture issues permanently. Our trained team of technicians utilizes only the best solutions for your basement or crawlspace. We are proud to offer LumberKote™ and MaxxBarrier™ waterproofing sealers by WatsonSeal. We are Alabama’s ONLY Watson Seal Authorized Dealer.

If you have a service request, give us a call. We will happily provide a free inspection and service estimate.